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Ah, another dressing-up opportunity! Carrickfergus parkrun’s 2nd birthday was encouraging runners to come dressed in the theme of “pairs”, and for my trusty canine companion and I there was a pretty obvious choice – Dick Dastardly and Muttley!

I started as always with eBay. DD items acquired included a driving licence, and a pair of pin badges.

Now here there was a dichotomy – sometimes Dick was wearing a red flying helmet, in other pictures his hat was red and purple stripes. I did a bit of trawling through the vintage emporia of Belfast, and in Octopus’s Garden found a purple peaked hat. I visited my favourite little haberdashery shop, the Sew and Knit place at the back of M&S for some red ribbon to make the stripes.

While I was there I managed to lose the just acquired driving licence, which I’d picked up from the collect-at-Argos service that very morning! But the staff were delightful, and having given them my mobile number they called me later that day to say they’d found it down the sliding doors of their display cabinet. Big thankings to them!

Being a motorcyclist has many advantages (as well as cool points), one of which is owning my own goggles.

The gloves and red scarf were, as they say, “model’s own”, and the red bandana for Minnie was a cotton scarf I’d bought on a diving trip to Sharm-el-Sheikh, turned inside out.

Blue trench coat was found in Primark’s sale (and to be honest I’ve worn it so many times already it owes me nowt!)

I’ve learned from running in various fancy dress outfits with Min that simple is best, and the bandana, with just the Muttley pin badge, was perfect. The mustache was done with eyeliner.

The morning of the run was a bit dreich, and I was congratulating myself on chosing an outift that consisted of hat gloves and coat. It was a wee bit warm for actual running, mind!

There was a great turnout of pairs: Alice and the White Rabbit, SuperMario brothers, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, and how did these 2 blobs manage to overtake me?

There were 3 or 4 doggies present. Waggy Races champ Gary is a Carrick regular, and he and Buddy led from the off.

And how adorable is this guy!

Massive appreciation to Neill Harpur who took some fantastic action shots, AND managed to do the run with his own gorjus doggy.

Getting in character was brilliant fun – I shouted “Muttley! Do Something!” every time we passed a marshall, shook my fist at all the photographers, and spat “Curses, foiled again” when someone overtook me. Minnie, who is quite a vocal dog, easily managed the “Sassin fashin rashin Rick Rastardley!”

On my last visit here, I’d run it in exactly 26 minutes in position 26, a feat you couldn’t do if you tried. I did manage to better that time, and also jumped up 2 places in the Age Category records.

But best of all…we won the fancy dress prize!!!! I am totally loving my cozy pair of pink spotty thermal socks. The after run goodies were delicious – I don’t know who made the sushi, but what a great post run treat, thank you!

I did proffer my driving licence at the scanning station, but it wouldn’t scan. Drat! Drat! And double-drat!

Poor Cracker felt a bit left out, but did you know that “Carrickfergus parkrun” is an anagram of Is Cracker Fur Rug Prank??

Was lovely to meet you today ..so impressed at your park running all over NI and some in England..your write up is great and truly captures the spirit of the Carrick park run ..which is a credit to the organisers and volunteers …and all the lovely runners that turn up too!! we’d love to see you at the Whitehead Easter Monday run ( where the after buns are also good! ).